Chemung County assistance programs.

Get help with paying heating bills
The New York State low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) begins in November of each year. The HEAP program is a federally funded energy program that helps primarily low and moderate income  households with paying for their heat-related energy costs and heating bills.

Assistance is provided in multiple ways. For example, HEAP can issue grants that are used to supplement a household's annual energy cost. There is also an emergency benefit that is used by households who have a heat related energy emergency. Last, but not least, the low-income Home Energy Assistance Program offers people a furnace replacement and/or repair benefit that is used by households with inoperable or inefficient heating equipment or hot water heaters.

Applications can be picked up at the Samaritan Center, located at 380 S. Main St., Elmira for anyone who is not on Temporary Assistance, Food Stamps or age 60 or older. Applications to HEAP are also available at the Chemung County Department of Social Services (DSS), 425 Pennsylvania Ave., Elmira. If you over the age of 60, you can pick up an application at the Chemung County Department of Aging and Long Term Care at 425 Pennsylvania Ave., Elmira.

If you apply and are accepted into the program, the grants and funds are not giving directly to you. Instead HEAP benefits are sent directly to the fuel vendor, utility or gas company.

As mentioned above there is also an emergency component, and these benefits may be available to people  who are eligible for HEAP and have an energy-related emergency such as:

• Your natural gas service or heat is turned off or scheduled to be turned off by the utility company.
• Your electrical service is necessary for your heating system to work properly and it is either scheduled to be shutoff or has been shut off
• You can receive emergency assistance if you are out of or in danger of running out of your heating fuel
• If your heating equipment is inoperable or needs to be repaired

If you need more information or to apply for the Furnace Repair and Replacement component of the HEAP program, this component is available to help low income renters or home owners replace or repair furnaces, boilers and other direct heating components necessary to keep the home's primary heating source functional. This Furnace Repair and Replacement Component is also offered by the Samaritan Center, and applications for that program are available at that site or at the Chemung County Department of Social Services, 425 Pennsylvania Ave., Elmira, NY. Read more on energy bill assistance.

If you have an emergency or are facing a crisis, households with a non-utility heat related emergency, such as about to have your service turned off, you have ran out of fuel (no oil, propane or wood), during nonbusiness hours, you need to call 795-5766 for assistance. with your heating bill or service.

Foreclosure Assistance and Mortgage Help

If you are struggling with paying your mortgage or facing a foreclosure, Catholic Charities of Chemung and Schuyler Counties as well as Tri County Housing Council in Big Flats are using the new federal government program (Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan) to help their clients keep their homes.

Both of these local non-profit agencies offer foreclosure prevention services as well as other ways for borrowers to get help with their mortgage. They even offered this service prior to the new Obama housing program. Each agency had an increase in applications when the federal program started, but they say they system is clogged and the process is very slow. The average time to complete a modification is around seven months.

While the process is very lengthy and requires lots of documentation and phone calls to banks and lenders, the goods news is that some people are getting relief. Local lenders and banks are usually easier to work with when trying to stop a foreclosure, but it takes too much time to get through to the larger investment banks and mortgage houses. But they eventually do respond, and provide some type of solution.

If you are interested in foreclosure prevention and live in Elmira or Chemung County, contact Catholic Charities at 607-734-9784. Or click here to find other ways to get mortgage help in New York state.